The word “travel” is normally associated with vacations or a desire to see new places beyond the border, but for Omar Perdomo, travelling is directly related to one of life’s necessities and his best source of inspiration.
At 62 years old, Perdomo has dedicated the majority of his life to traveling through America, Africa and Europe and to developing his artwork using any kind of material that he finds during his adventures. Nowadays, his travels have taken him to Samara, where he has lived for six years and owns the arts and crafts store Arte Sin Fronteras (Art Without Borders).
When he was 10 years old, Perdomo, originally from the city of Neiva, Colombia, discovered art as a way of life and a way to reuse elements that could be useful in daily life.
“I started working in crafts, not to live directly from them, but instead as a way to adapt to a way of life. Everything was done with crafts, for example, jicara gourd cups for transporting water or woven backpacks for working in the fields,” related Perdomo.
Perdomo’s work could seem like a catalog of disciplines that includes metalworking, sculpture, weaving and the use of recycled materials, among other techniques.
With the goal of learning about his roots, Perdomo started his journey through the American continent when he was 20 years old. He toured South America first, to learn techniques in each region along the way.
“In each trip, I was always collecting raw materials such as bones, coral, shells, bamboo – everything I could find, and at the same time I was creating. In addition, I learned about every place’s culture,” explained the artist.
Without knowing exactly how long he was in each country and after having seen almost the entire American continent, the Colombian crossed the ocean to visit Africa and then moved to Brussels, where he had five children (two boys and three girls). His children also inherited talented hands, so the five know how to make crafts and have paid for their studies by selling their artistic pieces.
From Belgium to Costa Rica
Thanks to his youngest son, Martin, Perdomo came for an indefinite time to Costa Rica, as he wanted to learn a third language in addition to Spanish and French and being in a tourist hotspot like Samara would help him to learn English.
“I am in Costa Rica because it’s a country that has welcomed other cultures. Samara has a very unusual energy; Samara is a place with a very special concentration of energy. I believe that in the future, there will be scientific information that confirms it, and the people here have energy because of it. I’ve been given a very warm reception; they’ve adopted me,” commented Perdomo.
Protective of his enigmatic lifestyle, Perdomo is like an onion, in that layer upon layer has to be peeled to get to the core, revealing at the core a veteran that still has a youthful spirit, that wants to live more adventures.
For now, he is not sure what his next destination will be, but he knows he that soon he should leave Samara to continue on his path. Perdomo also regularly visits Brussels, as he has another art gallery there where he displays his sculptures.
Arte Sin Fronteras is located in the Samara Natural Center and is open from Monday to Saturday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. For more information, call 8482-3343.
Comments